K–12 Tech Tactics
Strategies & Insights for Technology Leaders in K-12
3/23/2023
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IT Spotlight

What K-12 IT Leaders Need to Know About the Proposed Expansion of E-Rate Eligible Services

A Funds For Learning E-rate expert shares what K–12 procurement officers and IT leaders need to know so they can be prepared to apply for the expanded funds if and when the FCC decides to expand the E-rate eligible services list — particularly if the expansion plan of choice means that the amount of E-rate funds to cover modern cybersecurity services is limited, at least for the first few years.

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New 'Tech Tactics in Education' Conference Announced by Campus Technology and THE Journal

Registration is now open for Tech Tactics in Education: Data and IT Security in the New Now, a new conference from the producers of Campus Technology and THE Journal. The three-day event, taking place November 7–9, 2023, at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla., will offer hands-on learning, practical tips, and strategic discussions on critical cybersecurity issues and key data infrastructure and practices across K–12 and higher education.

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Ed Tech Research & Trends

4 Ways IT Teams Can Secure the Future of Esports in Education

Electronic sports, better known as esports, is a massive industry. As of 2022, 532 million people watched video gaming events worldwide.

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Call for Participation: IT Salary and Job Satisfaction Survey

THE Journal is relaunching its K–12 IT Salary and Job Satisfaction Survey. To date, thousands of K–12 IT professionals have participated, providing valuable insights into the profession for their peers and colleagues.

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Security Appliances Top $6.1 Billion in a Single Quarter

The security appliance market saw a substantial increase year over year, with five manufacturers dominating in the fourth quarter of 2022.

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Tablets and PCs to See Dramatic Decline in 2023

One of the few bright spots for tablet and PC manufacturers is schools, as the overall market for these computing devices is expected to fall 11.2% this year, reaching 2019 levels.

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K-12 Technology News

Blackbaud Fined $3M for 'Failing to Disclose' That Ransomware Attack Breached Private Data

Blackbaud, a South Carolina-based provider of administrative, donor management, and CRM software to education and nonprofit organizations, has been fined $3 million by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission "for making misleading disclosures about a 2020 ransomware attack that impacted more than 13,000 customers," the federal agency said.

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GotIt Unveils MathGPT Platform Custom Option for Math Education Providers

Expanded multi-modal MathGPT Platform possibilities mean any math content or curriculum can be turned into a personalized GPT-powered chatbot with interactive text, audio, and video learning, and GotIt can configure the MathGPT Platform to work with a wide variety of applications in math education, the company said.

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Why Ed Tech is Not Endorsing a Ban on ChatGPT in Schools

Depending on who's speaking, ChatGPT is projected to either further erode K-12 learning outcomes or it will boost writing instruction and overall learning outcomes when used with appropriate guardrails. Several education technology leaders explained to THE Journal why they fall in the second category and how K-12 education should and can embrace ChatGPT in classrooms.

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16 Products Achieve 1EdTech OneRoster 1.2 Standard That Makes Tracking Student Progress Simpler

A collaboration of ed tech providers led by nonprofit 1EdTech Consortium has resulted in an updated open standard for interoperability that allows K–12 school districts to automatically combine assessment results and grades from districts' various platforms and tools, enabling teachers and administrators to see all their students' results data in one place.

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AR/VR Headsets See Major Decline as Mixed Reality Emerges

Augmented and virtual reality headsets experienced a double-digit decline over the last year. Worldwide, AR/VR headset manufacturers shipped 8.8 million units in all of 2022, down 20.9% over the previous year, according to a new report.

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Khan Academy Pilots GPT-4 Powered Tool Khanmigo for Teachers

Khan Academy has launched a limited pilot of a new learning guide called Khanmigo for educators, powered by GPT-4, the next-generation of OpenAI's large language model technology, which formally launched today as well.

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STEM Educators Report Shortage of STEM Faculty in Their Schools

New findings released today indicate a shortage of STEM faculty in high schools and middle schools.

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Upcoming K–12 Events

  • PBL World 2023

    June 26–29, 2023
    Napa Valley, California
  • Tech Tactics in Education: Data and IT Security in the New Now

    Brought to you by the producers of Campus Technology and THE Journal, the 2023 Tech Tactics in Education conference offers hands-on learning, practical tips, and strategic discussions on critical cybersecurity issues and key data infrastructure and practices across K–12 and higher education. Access the latest thinking on current and emerging technology, data, and security trends impacting education institutions, as well as models for implementation, best practices, and strategies for effective technology leadership. If you are a technology leader in K–12 or higher education, data specialist, cybersecurity pro, or other individual charged with technology decision-making on campus, you’ll find valuable information for any experience level, team size, or institution type.
    Nov. 7–9, 2023
    Orlando, Florida

Upcoming K–12 Grants

Ongoing K–12 Grants

Call for Papers & Proposals

Submit calls for papers/proposals to [email protected].

Webinars On Demand

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Professional Resources

Drones as a Vehicle for Growing STEM? You Bet!

drone icon, podcast icon, THE Journal logo

THE Journal Insider podcast guest Dan Mantz of the REC Foundation – the host of the world’s largest robotics competitions for K–12 schools – shares how their STEM-focused mission is embracing more kinds of computer science and adding curriculum and competitions for “vertical robotics.” Listen to the podcast.


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Trailblazing Tutoring Triumphs: How They Did It

YouTube icon, text reads "tutoring trailblazers" over an icon representing the state of Texas

Texas' Ector County ISD uses outcomes-based contract tutoring and four different providers, resulting in significantly improved learning outcomes — and priceless lessons for schools hoping that digital tutoring will stem learning loss for their students. Watch on YouTube or read the full report.

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Tech Tactics is packed with the latest information about networking, databases, hardware, developer tools, data security, wireless, virtualization and cloud computing. Targeted toward K-12 IT professionals at the district and school levels, Tech Tactics also offers up project profiles, case studies, interviews and articles focusing on best practices in information technology. It's published twice monthly. Please direct any questions or comments about THE Tech Tactics to [email protected]

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